Becoming Sakura
by pointgrey
Summary: This is my version of Naruto. Sakura is not a Sauske fan girl. And, she actually becomes a strong female character. Friendships form over time and feelings start to develop. But who will Sakura end up with in the end? Will it be Naruto, Sasuke, or another man that wins her heart? Non-mass. Future lemons and adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto. Character not original, just tweaked their personalities to better fit my story.

Non-mass. Future Lemons.

**Chapter One**

Sakura sighed while looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Today was the first day at the academy. She was so nervous she could barely stand. Looking down at the toilet, she wondered if she needed to throw up again. Her stomach was in knots. Yet, beneath all the anxiety, there was a spark of excitement building in her gut. She wanted to be great. Deep down, she wanted to be the best kunochi in the village, possibly even Hokage. Sure she knew it was a long shot, but dreams all start from small places.

Looking back up into the mirror, Sakura decided that despite being scared, she would succeed. Today Haruno Sakura would be the best she could be. Repeating that mantra, she finally built up the courage to leave her bathroom and get dressed.

She settled on wearing he favorite red dress. Looking in the mirror once more, she tried to comb her hair to hide her large forehead. However, frustration and anxiety made this feat impossible. Throwing her brush down, Sakura stomped out of her room and into the downstairs' hallway.

"Okaa-san, I'm leaving for school!"

"Wait! Let me get one last look at you!" Sakura's mother shouted from the kitchen.

"Stop worrying. You're making a big deal out of nothing. I'm not even nervous." Sakura lied. But even at her young age of seven, she learned that not all lies were bad. Some lies, like white lies, were actually easier to say than the truth. Besides, if she wanted to be a great kunochi, she needed to hide her emotions and learn to lie with a straight face.

Sakura's mother came rushing in, "Oh stop worrying! Let me get a brush to fix your hair." She reached down and started patting Sakura's head, trying to undo the knot in her bangs.

Poop. Sakura frowned. She hated that her mother knew she was nervous. Clearly she had to work better at schooling her features. Lesson One: Lying is easy, but getting people to believe you is hard.

After twenty minutes of fussing and another five of her mother taking pictures, Sakura finally escaped her home with her bento and school bag. She felt exhausted already. One the bright side, she was so annoyed that she no longer felt nervous.

Her walk to the academy was fairly fast and uneventful. In only 15 minutes she was standing in front of the academy entrance. She was both relieved but also disappointed in this fact. One the bright side, she wouldn't be late for classes, which would be super embarrassing on the first day. However, on the down side, she started to get nervous again. The pit in her stomach started building. She prayed she wouldn't throw up. Meeting new people always gave her anxiety. But, she remembered her resolution from earlier in the day: "You will succeed. You will do your best." She repeated it a couple times to herself, finally building up the courage to step through the entrance and walk to her classroom.

The halls were fairly empty since she was so early. Sakura began to get nervous again, wondering if she was too early or if this was the right day. She steadied herself as she opened the classroom door. Peering inside, she noticed that the room looked empty. Panic started to wash over Sakura until she heard a noise behind her.

"Tch. Are you going to stand there all day? Or are you going inside."

Sakura whipped around, "Gomen! I was just wondering if I had the right room." As she looked up, she saw the face of a cute boy with dark features and pale skin. However, at that moment she was more scared by his expression and demeanor than she was filled with attraction.

The cute boy rolled his eyes, pushed her aside, and walked into the classroom, "Looks like they're letting anyone into the academy these days. How annoying." He promptly sat down in the middle of the classroom and tried his best to ignore the startled girl in the doorway.

Sakura was mortified. She slowly entered the classroom and sat in the front row as to avoid any future eye contact with the dark haired boy. Lesson Two: Some people are rude and mean for no reason, it is best to avoid them no matter how physically attractive they may be.

After 5 minutes of awkward silence, the classroom began filing up. A loud mouth blonde boy in a bright orange outfit decided to sit next to Sakura. However, instead of the extra company soothing her nerves, it just made her feel worse because he kept staring at her. Eventually the boy cleared his throat and introduced himself: "Hi! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I'm going to be the Hokage one day!"

Sakura looked stunned. How could he say that so easily? Becoming Hokage was a great honor and also very difficult. This was only their first day at the academy for crying out loud! Lesson Three: Some people are delusional.

Sakura was about to introduce herself to the mentally unstable boy in orange until she heard the sound of laughter from the back of the classroom. Whipping her head around, she saw the dark haired boy laughing. His laughter was contagious. Once he started, all the girls surrounding him began. Once the girls started, the rest of the boys filling up the classroom began to snicker as well. The dark haired boy then said: "What a loser! I can't wait to beat you!"

Naruto turned bright red and shot out of his seat "Oh yeah! Well who do you think you are anyway?"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto gulped "Well you don't look that strong. Plus it's my dream to become Hokage! No one will stop me! Believe it!"

"Hn. Too bad losers don't become Hokage," Sasuke said as he rose from his seat.

The tension in the room was mounting and the rest of the students were waiting for the two opposing forces to fight. Sakura really thought that she was going to throw up at any moment. Both boys took several steps towards one another, eyeing their opponent's response.

Luckily the instructor walked in right before the boys became face to face. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as she saw both boys separate and move back to their original locations. She realized that she had been holding her breath during the entire exchange and felt a little lightheaded. After all of the commotion, it was hard to pay attention to anything the instructor said. She took her pencil from the top of her desk and jabbed her leg. The shock of pain knocked her out of her daze, allowing her to absorb her teacher's instructions. She remembered that she had a goal of becoming a great kunochi. So, paying attention to every lesson was important. She wouldn't say it out loud like Naruto, but she understood his desire to be strong and successful. Hell she would bet her mother's bento that most of the other children in the room dreamed of becoming Hokage. Naruto was the only one brave, or stupid, enough to voice that dream out loud.

Most of the morning lessons were boring and filled with information concerning the school. Nonetheless, Sakura forced herself to pay attention to every detail. She refused to look like a clueless idiot again, especially in front Sasuke. Never again would she be caught off guard.

Luckily, the morning session of classes finished without any incidents. As lunch began, Sakura sighed to herself and took out her bento. Halfway done with the first day. She was relieved that soon she would be heading home.

Naruto cleared his throat loudly, "Want to eat outside with the rest of the class?"

"Ok," Sakura said nervously. She always hated meeting new people and the blonde boy made her nervous.

As they started to walk outside, Sakura could hear snickering and laughter coming from her peers. This wasn't good. She became even more nervous.

Suddenly, one of the snickering students jumped out in front of Sakura and started shouting and even called Naruto a monster. Sakura was in shock and did not want to be involved in the fight. She snuck away from the chaos, but not before she saw Naruto start a fight with the instigator. She made a mental note to not hang out with Naruto again. He seemed like he attracted trouble, and her mother would not like it if she got into a fight.

As she walked outside, she decided to eat her lunch under a shaded tree. She felt much more relaxed now that she was by herself. Scanning the area, she noticed that Sasuke was surrounded by a group of girls. He looked miserable. She laughed to herself. It was funny that such an antisocial, rude person was so attractive that most of the girls in class seemed to flock towards him.

One of the girls tried to hold his hand and he quickly batted it away. As Sakura saw this, she laughed again. However, unlike the first time, this laugh came out louder than expected. Sasuke looked up and frowned when he saw Sakura. The girls surrounding Sasuke then became furious.

One of them shouted, "Don't pay attention to her, Sasuke-kun! She's stupid and ugly."

Another chimed in, "Look at her clothes and her large forehead. She's so dumb."

Sakura had never been bullied before today, but she just hoped that the other girls would stop taunting her if she remained quiet. She was wrong for making fun of them, so she didn't mind hearing their harsh words. Besides, these children clearly weren't very smart if these were the best insults they could come up with.

After a couple more minutes of taunting, another blonde girl in her class wearing a purple dress came to her defense.

"Leave her alone!"

Sakura felt relieved. Sure the taunting didn't bother her. But, all the attention made her nervous. She looked up and smiled at the other girl.

"Thanks. They wouldn't stop."

"They're just upset because you laughed at them. I think they all have a crush on Sasuke-kun."

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Have a crush on Sasuke-kun?"

"He's cute. But I don't know him well enough to say that I like him."

"Do you?"

"No way!" Sakura said loudly. "He's rude and impolite." As she said that, Sasuke's head whipped up. He stared at Sakura with a look of disbelief and disdain.

"Hahaha. I think he heard you."

"I don't care." Sakura lied. But, in truth she did feel a little bad for saying that. She didn't want to make an enemy so quickly.

"My name's Yamanaka Ino by the way. What's yours?"

"Haruno Sakura. Nice to meet you."

"Want to eat lunch together?"

"Sure!"

For the first time today, Sakura actually felt happy. She actually made a friend. The two girls spent their time talking about nothing and gossiping mindlessly about their classmates. Sakura learned that Sasuke came from a well-respected shinobi clan in Konoha, which would explain his rude and conceited demeanor. She also learned that the majority of villagers hated Naruto. Both girls couldn't understand why though, since they both thought he was loud and fairly dim witted.

As they talked, Sakura actually felt at peace. However, that peace was short lived. While Sakura and Ino were becoming fast friends, Naruto was in the midst of trying to escape from his fight with his fellow classmates. As he was in the process of dodging punches, Naruto accidently backed into Sasuke and knocked him down.

Needless to say, all hell broke loose. Sasuke was bright red and immediately jumped up in order to join in on the fight. The boys trying to punch Naruto kept up their assault despite the extra people now surrounding them. The fan girls were screaming that Sasuke had been knocked down. Naruto was flailing his arms in an attempt at defending himself.

Sakura and Ino stopped gossiping and sat open mouthed watching all the chaos ensue. Luckily an instructor at the academy prevented the fighting from escalating further by separating both Naruto and Sasuke. If looks could kill, both boys would have dropped dead at that moment.

The exchange between the two boys made Sakura realize several things: 1) Sasuke was a rude jerk. 2) Naruto was a loud idiot. And, 3) both should be avoided at all costs. She decided that these two boys attracted trouble, which would only hurt her chances at proving her worth in the academy… and possibly result in getting her grounded. She vowed that she would never be friends with them.

Lesson Four: first impressions can be misleading.

Hope you enjoyed my first story. More chapters with a time skip to come.

xx pointgrey


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto. Character not original, just tweaked their personalities to better fit my story.

**Chapter Two**

Five years had passed since Sakura joined the academy. She stared at the ceiling as her alarm went off, praying that it wasn't actually 5 am. She eventually rolled to the side and slammed the alarm off. Shutting her eyes and sighing loudly, she got out off bed. She immediately regretted her decision to start training in the early morning. But, the final exam for the academy was coming in a month. Sakura was determined to pass and finally become a genin.

Looking back on the years, she had accomplished a lot for her age. She found that her intelligence was in the top of the class. She also discovered that despite having small chakra reserves, she had perfect control, which made up for her lack of stamina. However, despite her accomplishments, she still was nervous about taking the exam. She realized that her physical training was lacking. She should have practiced more. She needed to practice more. Her combat techniques were weak, her endurance was sub par, and her strength was at the bottom of the class. One the bright side, she was not the worst student. Thankfully that title went to Naruto. He was the worst student academically and physically. He never took lessons seriously. Sakura sighed. She almost hoped that Naruto would not pass the final exam. It might be better if he never became a genin. That way he would not get hurt. Maybe if he didn't pass, he could open up a ramen shop and become the chef. He always talked about ramen, so he probably would like that job. Although, she still felt guilty for thinking that. She thought more about it. If she didn't pass the exam, it would be devastating, not to mention very embarrassing. She changed her mind. She hoped that Naruto would pass and prove her wrong.

Two months ago, Sakura decided to start morning training sessions before class in order to reach her goal of becoming stronger physically. She started working out slowly. She began by only jogging once around her neighborhood. Then, she started running along the wall of the Konoha. Now, she was able to make a full lap without getting out of breath. She heard a rumor that one of the jounin was able to sprint around the wall 10 times. Now that was a lot of endurance. She hoped to one day be able to accomplish that feat.

One week ago, she also started to work on her core strength by doing push-ups, crunches, and lunges. She was still fairly weak in comparison to her classmates, but she knew that if she continued her regimen, she would start seeing results.

She sighed and popped her back as she finally sat out of bed and got dressed for her morning run. Looking at the mirror, she frowned at her reflection. Her long hair was a mess. She quickly put her hair up in a ponytail. Sakura really wanted to cut her hair shorter, but she knew her mother would be angry if she ever did anything to her pink locks. Looking at the clock, Sakura realized that she was running late, so she skipped her morning stretches and quickly took off to run her normal route. As she ran, she went over her schedule for the day. From 8-3 she had classes at the academy. From 4-5 she would go to the training field and practice throwing kunai. From 5-6 she would study. From 7-8 she would have dinner with her parents. From 8-9 she would stretch and work on her strength training. From 10-11 she would study some more. Then she would shower and get ready for bed.

Her schedule left little time for socializing. However, every minute she spent with friends was another minute she could have used to become stronger. Then again, she didn't really have any close friends at the moment. It was no coincidence that Sakura began her extra training regime around the same time she had a major falling out with Ino. Training kept her busy and prevented her from feeling sad about her broken friendship. It was also nice to look forward to a future goal when the present seemed bleak.

Two months ago, her then best friend told her that she was in love with Sasuke. Sakura was appalled. Not only was Sasuke a jerk to most of her classmates, he was also rude and conceited when dealing with the instructors. It was shocking that his behavior was so insolent considering that his clan was on rough footing in Konoha. Sakura overheard from her parents that the Uchiha clan almost committed a coup against the third Hokage and Danzo. However, when she asked for them to clarify, her parents told her: "not to worry," and "it's an adult matter."

So, not only did Sakura want to pass her exam and become stronger, she also wanted to beat Sasuke's score. She was sick of being average. She was also mad at him because he stole the attention of her best friend, Ino. Plus, it was really annoying that it looked like every task came easily to her new rival. She knew she was more intelligent than him, but she was irritated that he excelled in physical tasks. It just wasn't fair. She couldn't understand what Ino saw in him. Sure he was talented and extremely good-looking. But, as far as Sakura was concerned, she thought his personality sucked.

Her thoughts surrounding both Ino and Sasuke pushed her to run faster and faster. Instead of jogging, Sakura was now sprinting. Anger was always a good motivator for her.

Suddenly a sharp pain coursed through Sakura's leg as she hit mid stride. Barreling forward, Sakura realized that she was about to hit the hard dirt road. Closing her eyes, she awaited the hard impact. But, just as she expected to start feeling pain, she felt her body cushioned against another human's form. Shocked, Sakura looked up to see the figure of a young dark haired man with kind eyes and heavy tear duct marks streaking his face.

Sakura was awe stuck. She tried to say something, but she was literally at a loss of words.

After a tense minute, the young man finally spoke, "Gomen. I saw that you were falling and wanted to prevent you from hurting yourself."

"Oh no! I should be apologizing to you!" Sakura said, turning red from embarrassment. "It's my fault. I didn't stretch before my morning run since I was running late. I was careless."

"Oh ok. I was worried I scared you for a moment."

"No no. Thank you."

"I've seen you running this route before. Not many academy students get up early to train. I admire your work ethic."

Sakura blushed. How did this strange man know she was in the academy? Most thought that she looked older than the average 12 year old. She was one of the tallest female students in her class and she also unfortunately hit puberty a year ago, which definitely made her stand out from her other classmates. Her hips were so wide that she no longer could wear adolescent clothing like her peers. Her chest had also grown to the point where she always needed to wear bindings. It was really embarrassing. If she had hit puberty a little later, it probably would have been easier. Most of the girls and boys at school teased her harshly about her looks.

"Thank you. The exam is coming up and I wanted to be prepared."

"That's good to hear. Sounds like you inherited the will of the fire. The village will be lucky to have you as a genin."

"Thank you!" Sakura said bowing to the stranger.

"My name is Uchiha Itachi. And yours?"

"Haruno Sakura," She said shakily. Needless to say, Sakura was in shock. From all the rumors she heard about the coup and her encounters with Sasuke she never expected to meet a kind member of the Uchiha clan. She always pictured them as evil villains, which was now really immature and stupid the more she thought about it.

"Well good luck with your training Haruno-san. I'll see you later." Itachi said as he started walking in the opposite direction.

"Thank you again!" Sakura said blushing once more. As she started up her jog once more, she was definitely mindful to keep a slower pace. Falling again would be very embarrassing. However, she wouldn't mind if Itachi was there to catch her again. He may have been an Uchiha, but he was the kindest person she had interacted with in a long time. Plus it didn't hurt that he was very cute. She certainly hoped that she would see him again.

Lesson Five: Be careful what you wish for.

xx pointgrey


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto. Character not original, just tweaked their personalities to better fit my story.

**Chapter Three**

Itachi slumped against a large tree across from the academy walls. He was patiently waiting for Sasuke to finish his lessons. His job in ANBU kept him busy, so he was excited to spend the little time he had with his brother. During the coup, he was forced to keep his distance from Sasuke. The last thing he wanted was for Sasuke to become involved in the conflict. He wanted his brother to love Konoha and remain innocent from all the turmoil. He frowned thinking back during those tense years. Itachi sighed. Luckily, it seemed that the distance resulted in preserving Sasuke's innocence in the matter. However, it also put a strain on their relationship as brothers. Itachi could feel the resentment and jealously Sasuke developed over the years. The resentment stemmed from feeling neglect and the jealously arose from his little brother's own insecurity concerning his skills. Itachi was well aware that most considered him a child prodigy. He just wished that Sasuke wouldn't compare himself to those standards. His younger brother would become strong, maybe even stronger than himself. However, he could tell that time was needed to develop those skills. Sasuke would be a late bloomer.

He looked to the sky. During missions, he would often have to rely on the sun's position in order to tell the time. Watches were too bulky to carry. The sun was right above the cliffs surrounding the village, indicating that it had just turned 3. Classes should be out shortly.

He then heard the sound of children laughing and of smaller footsteps running towards him. He smiled. He almost wished he didn't graduate the academy at such a young age. He missed out on a lot. However, if he didn't graduate early, he wouldn't have been able to protect the village and his brother. He wouldn't have stopped the coup.

He looked up once he heard a set of small footsteps approaching his location.

"Nii-san, are you here to see me?" asked Sasuke.

"Of course. Why else would I be waiting outside of the academy? Itachi replied while smiling. He straightened his posture and cracked his back.

Sasuke looked unsure. So, Itachi poked him in the center of his forehead.

"Ouch! Nii-san." Sasuke looked annoyed. However, Itachi new from the slight curve of his brother's mouth that Sasuke appreciated the gesture. He used to poke Sasuke in the forehead when they were younger as a sign of brotherly affection. The Uchiha clan was never big on hugging. So, each poke was like a hug. It had been several years since the last time Itachi poked Sasuke in the forehead. But, he figured the small gesture would be a good start to building their relationship.

Sasuke cleared his throat, "Do you have any free time to train together?"

The younger Uchiha liked having his brother pick him up from the academy. It was a nice change and he hoped this small act would lead them to repair their relationship. He always felt awkward and unsure next to his brother. It didn't help that Itachi mostly ignored him. But, he also realized that Itachi was an ANBU captain, so his job kept him away from most people. He hoped that this wouldn't be the last time Itachi came to pick him up. It also didn't hurt that the gaggle of girls that incessantly chased him in class were too afraid to approach him with Itachi standing so close. He couldn't blame them. Itachi was an intimidating figure.

"Sure. I have the whole week off since your final exam is approaching."

Sasuke looked shocked. "Did you request the time off?"

"Of course ototou. I figured you would want some help training. But, I am sure you will pass regardless of any help I give you."

"Great!" Saskue smiled. It was a rare sight these days and Itachi was glad he decided to take time off.

"Let's go home first to drop off your things. Then we can go over the basics. I want to see your combat techniques."

"We can go over basics only if you promise to show me more advanced moves."

"Alright little brother. Just don't tell Okaa-san." Itachi said laughing.

"Deal."

Just as the brothers were about to leave, Itachi noticed a slight shift in Sasuke's behavior. Sasuke actually stumbled and looked nervous. There was even a little pink color to his cheeks. This was not good. If Sasuke was coming down with a cold, he should not be training. His little brother would have to rest. Although with the timing of the academy final in seven days, it would be hard to convince Sasuke to stay in bed. However, if Sasuke didn't rest, he could become more ill and miss the exam completely. He would have to tell their mother.

Sasuke gulped and shifted his weight.

Itachi then realized that Sasuke wasn't feeling ill. He was just nervous. However, seeing Sasuke nervous was a rare occurrence. Something was up. His little brother was acting normal a second ago, so something in their vicinity must have triggered him to behave so oddly.

Itachi scanned their surroundings, trying to elucidate what turned Sasuke into a bumbling silent statue. As his eyes passed over the academy wall, he noticed a familiar sight. A cute girl with long pink hair was walking in their direction. She didn't notice their presence since she was walking and reading at the same time. How silly. Itachi wondered if this girl had a penchant for falling. No way would she be able to keep up her quick pace while reading without bringing harm to herself.

He had a feeling that Sasuke had a crush on a pink haired girl from school. Sasuke rarely talked at family dinner. But several months ago, his brother began mentioning a pink haired girl named Sakura frequently during dinner conversations. His mother would always ask him how school was going. And, Sasuke went from saying "fine" to making small comments about this girl. He started by saying that "she was annoying" and "her technique at throwing kunai was terrible" to "she was the smartest student in class" and "she has the best chakra control." The slight change in attitude would go unnoticed by most. But, Itachi was not considered a child prodigy for nothing. He suspected that his little brother had fallen Haruno Sakura. Sasuke did not compliment others easily, so his kind words concerning his classmate definitely raised a flag.

Fate had it that Itachi actually met Sakura three weeks ago. After coming home from a long mission, Itachi always liked to meander the streets of Konoha early in the morning, before most of the villagers had awoken. Mornings in Konoha were calm and peaceful. His walks also reminded him why his job in ANBU was so important. Many innocent lives depended on his actions. While he was walking by the wall, Itachi noticed a flash of pink and decided to follow the owner. It was rare to see another individual jogging so early in the morning. He realized that the early morning jogger must be Haruno Sakura. Pink hair was a very rare recessive trait. Once he realized whom he was following, he decided to continue his pursuit more carefully. He wanted to know more about the girl in order to determine if she would be suitable for his younger brother.

As Sakura was jogging, he noticed that she slipped from a muscle cramp. Since he was following closely, he was able to prevent her from falling. He could see why Sasuke was enamored. She was very beautiful. If he didn't know any better, he would think that she was 15, not 12. She was already much more developed than most her age. He could tell that her chest was bound when she fell into his arms. He was ashamed to say that he didn't mind the feeling of her pressed against him. It also didn't help that she ran in spandex shorts. So, as he was following her, he got a great view of her toned ass and hips. She definitely did not look like his brother's age. That's for sure.

When he spoke to her, he also realized how kind she was. Most people would have been afraid of bumping into him. He was used to others being intimidated by his presence. But, this young girl was nothing but friendly and kind. Her demeanor was warm and inviting. It also helped that her large green eyes looked so cute and alarmed when she apologized for falling into him.

Itachi couldn't blame Sasuke for finding the girl attractive. Hell, if things didn't work out between this girl and his brother, he would be more than happy to step in. It was rare to find a beautiful female kunochi that was willingly to devote so much time to training and studying. He found her dedication and work ethic extremely attractive.

Sasuke shifted again, bringing Itachi out of his thoughts. Itachi looked down and saw that his brother had clenched fists. Looking back at Sakura, he immediately knew what caused the new shift in his brother's stance. The village idiot was circling Sakura, desperately trying to get her attention away from her book.

Using his well-trained hearing, he picked up on their conversation.

"Sakura-chan, please!"

"Gomen Naruto. I have to train for the academy finals. I don't have time to eat ramen. Besides, you shouldn't eat junk food. It makes you weak."

"But Sakura-chan! I love ramen! It's the best food! You ALWAYS spend your time training! Can't you take the day off? Don't you get lonely? You don't even hang out with Ino anymore."

Sakura stumbled and looked up at Naruto. "Hmmm. You are right."

"So you'll go out with me?!"

"No."

Naruto face palmed.

"But I should probably be more social. Tell you what, if we both pass our exams, we can get ramen… as friends."

"Yes! You won't regret it Sakura-chan! I'll start training even harder! I will definitely pass the exam, believe it!"

"Ok Naruto. Good luck." Sakura smiled slightly.

"See you tomorrow Sakura-chan. I'm going to the training fields now!"

Sakura sighed and resumed reading her book. She was so involved that she passed right by both Itachi and Sasuke without noticing their presence.

Itachi noticed that Sasuke looked ready to kill. Well this confirmed it. His little brother was in love with Haruno Sakura. The only problem was that Itachi found the girl very attractive as well. It would figure that the moment he tried repairing their friendship, both would develop feelings for the same girl. However, Itachi resolved that he would not interfere with Sasuke's budding romance. As his older brother, it was his job to protect him from harm. He would never think of hurting Sasuke by stealing his first crush. But, if Sasuke ever decided he no longer had feelings for Sakura, Itachi would have no moral obligations preventing him from pursuing the girl.

However, he would need to keep an eye on Naruto. He didn't think the blonde loud mouth would be a good fit for the pink haired beauty.

xx pointgrey


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto. Character not original, just tweaked their personalities to better fit my story.

**Chapter Four**

Sakura slowly began to stir from bed. The sunlight painted the back of her eyelids red. This was the first time in months that she had actually decided to sleep in. It felt great. She turned to her side and shielded the sun's rays from her face. A few more moments in bed wouldn't hurt. But, she figured she slept enough. Besides, she read somewhere that oversleeping can actually make you more tired, which seemed cruel the more she thought about it.

Popping her back, she resolved to get out of bed. As she finally opened her eyes, she scanned her room looking for the clock. It was only 9 am. Sakura sighed and flopped her head back down on the pillow.

Well technically sleeping till 9 is "sleeping in" when you're used to waking up at 5 am for morning runs. Sakura laughed to herself. Before she started training, she remembered sleeping until noon on the weekends. Rising once again, she finally made it out of bed.

Walking to her full-length mirror, Sakura took in her reflection and smiled. She could see all the hard work she put in these past months. Her arms, though still small were toned. Plus, she noticed that her legs looked great due to her morning runs. She turned to the side. She just wished that her ass were smaller. All her strength training and squats seemed to make it grow even larger than before. Sighing to herself, Sakura turned around and took off her pink sleeping tank. Looking down, she noticed that she was starting to get a much flatter stomach. Now that was something she could be proud about. She remembered all the crazy diets that she used to go on with Ino in order to become smaller. Of course, none of those diets worked. They always starved for a coupled days, then binge ate due to their growing hunger. But, no diet with Ino ever worked this well. She was even more determined to stick to her new workout regimen. Looking slightly higher, Sakura could have sworn that her breast grew again while she slept. She felt defeated. Most girls wanted to have a larger chest. But Sakura could swear that she had the biggest breasts in her grade. That made her a target for bullying, especially from other girls. Puberty was certainly cruel. She had started to bind her chest with bandages like some of the older kunochi she knew. If she used extra wrapping, she could make them appear a whole size smaller, which attracted far less attention.

Looking at the clock, Sakura realized that it was already 9:30. She had a couple errands to run, so she decided to get ready.

Heading to her closet, she looked at her meager wardrobe. Most of the clothing she owned was for workouts or school. She shifted some clothes to the side. Looking around, she finally found it: a cotton white sundress. Sakura smiled. She bought this dress with Ino six months ago, but never wore it out. It was so pretty that she never felt like she had a reason to wear it. But, today was the day before the academy final exam and she needed all the luck she could get. She didn't actually think that the white dress was a lucky charm, but she hoped it would at least bring her confidence throughout the day, which would hopefully make her feel less anxious.

Putting on the simple dress, Sakura looked in the mirror. She was a little nervous. The dress was slightly low cut and had thin straps. It prevented her from binding her chest. She hoped that her breasts didn't look too large from only wearing a bra.

She brushed though her hair and decided to keep it down. Looking to her mirror once again, Sakura smiled. Keeping her hair down and pulled forward actually did a nice job at hiding her large bust line. She loved the dress, but didn't want too much attention. A feeling of relief washed over her. Her long hair gave her a nice cover of protection.

Walking to her desk, she picked up her "To do" list for the day. She read it over once more in her mind:

1. Bookstore

2. Park

3. Food Market

4. Meditation

She laughed. Only a crazy person would have to make a list full of relaxing activities. But, she realized that she had trained intensively over the last several months for her final exam. She needed to take time off to recover and center her mind. She also read that you should never exert yourself before a big exam. So, she was determined to have fun and center her mind. She would not spend the day a nervous wreck. She was being proactive. She had a list. If she followed the list, she would be all right. She would not pass out or throw up.

Grabbing her large purse, Sakura stomped out of her room and down the stairs. She was determined that nothing would go wrong today. Lesson Six: Sometimes fate has other plans.

As she walked to the bookstore, Sakura was filled with excitement. She loved to read, and was really looking forward to purchasing a new book. Lately, the only material she had read concerned ninja technique, training tips, and the history of Konoha. It was wearing to only read for knowledge and not pleasure.

Turning the corner, she saw a massive line at the bookstore. The line literally stretched around the block. She would never be able to get into the bookstore! What was all of Konoha in need of a good book? Did all of their televisions suddenly break!

Looking more closely at the line, Sakura noticed that all the participants were male. That was suspicious. Something was up. Sakura scanned the line and her face turned bright red when she found the answer: Icha Icha just came out with a new novel. Gross! These men were all waiting in line to buy porn! She looked to the front of the line. There was a grey haired ninja wearing a mask. He was jumping excitedly, trying to push himself into the bookstore. Sakura face palmed. No way would she enter the bookstore today. These men were all perverts. She sighed. Well, at least she brought some drawing supplies in her bag. Instead of reading, she would try her hand at sketching. She read somewhere that sketching was good therapy and calming.

Setting off to the park, Sakura was determined to have a relaxing day. She would not let her disappointment at the bookstore ruin her mood.

She found a peaceful sitting place on a bench underneath a large willow tree. It gave her a great view of the lake in front of her. She took out her pad of sketching paper and a pencil. For thirty minutes, she desperately tried to draw a tree in front of her. It ended up looking like a spaghetti monster. She was so frustrated. Snapping her pencil and throwing her paper back into her purse, Sakura decided to give up on that endeavor. She closed her eyes and placed her palms over her face in frustration. Some people were just not naturally artistic. Maybe she would be better at music…

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard several footsteps approaching her location. Moving her hands from her face, Sakura saw an intimidating force moving towards her: The Uchiha bothers.

"Oh, hello Sakura-san." Itachi said smoothly.

Sakura blushed and waived awkwardly. "Hello Itachi-san, Sasuke-san."

"How do you know Sakura?" Asked Sasuke in a menacing manner.

"We literally ran into each other one morning. She was training for the academy final. I was impressed. She was actually awake before even you little brother."

Sakura blushed again. Well this was awkward.

"Hn. Well hopefully that means you're ready for the exam. Physical tasks have never been your strong point."

Now that pissed Sakura off. Who was this guy? She would show him.

"I've improved quite a bit. I can't blame you for not noticing, what with your constant club of fans swarming you everyday at school. Who knows? I may even beat you."

Sasuke pursed his lips. He didn't mean to make Sakura mad. He was just bad a communicating. He was genuinely impressed that she started training on her own. Most kunochi their age were more concerned with their appearance and didn't have the drive to train outside of the academy. But then again, Sakura was not like the other girls in the academy. That's what drew him to her. She wasn't a gawking fangirl. He wanted to win her over.

Sakura then stood up from her seated position on the bench. She felt awkward talking to both brothers when they stood and she sat. Besides, if she needed to run away, it would be much easier from a standing position.

As Sakura stood, Sasuke noticed that she was not wearing her usual training clothes. She was wearing a dress. But not just any dress, a very short white dress. She looked beautiful. Sasuke gulped. He couldn't speak. He started to feel uncomfortable and nervous. He didn't know how to act. It was frustrating that the girl in front of him was so beautiful and oblivious to his obvious attraction.

Just then a slight breeze brushed past the group, pushing Sakura's hair to the side.

As she combed her hair forward, Sakura noticed both brothers staring at her.

"What? Is it so unbelievable that I would beat Sasuke-san?"

"Oh no, Sakura-san. I'm sure you will do great." Itachi said nervously.

Sakura did not realize that the slight breeze had caught both brothers off guard. The wind had shifted her hair so much that both Itachi and Sasuke got a full view of her chest in the low cut dress. Sakura had always worn chest bindings to the academy and while working out. So, both brothers were shocked with what they saw. Itachi felt like a pervert for checking out the chest of a 12 year old girl. To be fair, Sakura definitely did not look four years younger. Sasuke felt blood rushing to his face, and if he were to be honest with himself, he felt blood rushing below. His pants suddenly felt tight. Puberty was a pain. He was sick of having to constantly hide his attraction to Sakura. Putting his hands in front of his pants, he hoped Itachi would not notice.

"Well thank you Itachi-san. I should get going. I need to run a few errands." Sakura said as she turned, trying to end the strange and awkward conversation.

"Good luck tomorrow, Sakura."

She halted in her escape, spinning around. Sasuke just wished her good luck.

"Um. Thanks Sauske-kun." Sakura said quickly. She then turned around and quickly ran off. Sasuke had never been kind to her. It was very shocking. She needed to get away. Today was turning out to be more stressful than relaxing.

Sasuke was stunned. He noticed that Sakura called him "Sasuke-kun" not "Sasuke-san." He smiled widely. Maybe he could actually win over the affection of Haruno Sakura. Itachi noticed his brother's smug grin and rolled his eyes. His little brother was really cute when he was in love. Too bad the object of his brother's affection was Sakura. Itachi was becoming more attracted to the young girl every time he saw her. He sighed to himself as he watched her briskly walk away.

Sakura made it to the grocery store in record time. To say that conversation with the Uchiha bothers had rattled her composure would be an understatement. She never expected Sasuke to wish her good luck. He might have only said those words in order to be polite in front of Itachi. Kindness was a trait that was not inherent in Sasuke. So, his older brother was probably a good influence on him. Sakura shook her head and grabbed a shopping cart.

She hadn't had junk food since she started training. And by God, she would have chocolate today. It was still early in the day, and she could turn her stressful day around with some sugar.

She immediately went to the freezer section in order to get ice cream. Reaching in for her favorite brand, she heard a loud shout.

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

She spun around, ice cream in hand, and saw Naruto running towards her. Well there goes her quiet afternoon. She would have to find a way to escape the blonde loud mouth. She needed to relax! It was like the whole world was against her finding inner peace!

"Hi Naruto." She said, keeping a strained smile.

"What are you doing here, Sakura-chan? I thought you would be training hard."

She shifted her weight, "I decided to take the day off before the exams. Don't want to tire myself out." As annoying as Naruto could be, she appreciated that he noticed her work ethic. It was always encouraging to be recognized by your peers.

"How's your training coming Naruto?"

He gulped and scratched the back of his head. "Hehehe. It's going great. I'll be fine for tomorrow, believe it!"

Sakura could tell he was lying. But, Naruto would never admit that he was struggling. She felt bad for the blonde. The others in school were always for mean to him. Plus, she didn't think he had a chance in passing. She steeled herself and put down the chocolate ice cream. She decided she would help Naruto. Her day was already far from relaxing, so she might as well be productive.

"Would you like me to show you some pointers? I was planning on going to the training field for a couple hours?"

"What? You just said that you were taking the day off."

"I meant that I was taking the day off from running. I didn't mean that I wouldn't practice." She lied.

"Really Sakura-chan? You wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not!"

"YOU'RE THE BEST!"

Naruto then grabbed Sakura's hand, pulling her towards the training ground. Sakura noticed that he looked relieved and she smiled. Maybe the blonde idiot wasn't so bad. She would do her best to help.

Lesson Seven: Sometimes people can surprise you.

xx pointgrey


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto. Character not original, just tweaked their personalities to better fit my story.

Sorry for the late update… life gets in the way sometimes.

**Chapter Five**

Sakura stared in disbelief as Naruto was practicing throwing kunai. He was terrible. Well that might actually be an understatement. His stance was wrong, his aim was off, and he even held the sharp blade incorrectly. She sighed to herself and looked up to the sky, asking herself why she agreed to help the blonde loudmouth train the day before the exam. Breathing out loudly, she steeled her resolve. No use in moping. She agreed to help, and by kami she was not going to waste her day off now. He would at least learn something from her today.

She cleared her throat loudly in order to get Naruto's attention.

Naruto turned and blushed. "Heh, I guess I need to work on my aim."

Sakura felt bad. Naruto looked upset despite the large smile on his face. She wondered how much he practiced on his own. He had no family to help. If she didn't have her dad show her the correct way to throw, she might have ended up like him.

"It's not your aim necessarily, Naruto. I think you main problem is your stance and how you hold your kunai. You need to be more delicate and fluid with your motion. Let me show you."

Sakura walked over and grabbed Naruto's right hand. She molded his fingers and palm into the right position. Satisfied she then bent down and positioned his legs correctly. "In order to aim correctly, you need to have your front left leg pointed at the target. It's the same as throwing a ball."

She got up and brushed the grass off her legs.

Naruto was stunned. He never expected Sakura to get so close to him. Most people seemed to hate him or be afraid of his presence. She actually touched him. His whole body felt hot and tingly. His palms now felt sweaty and his throat was dry. Closing his eyes, Naruto was now even more determined to hit the target in front of him. He would not let his crush down. Naruto took a deep breath and tried to slow his beating heart. Squinting at the target in front of him, he reeled his arm back and threw his kunai forward, hitting the target dead center.

Sakura stared dumbfounded. He actually did it. "Wow Naurto! Good job!"

Naruto was just as shocked. He spent so much time practicing after school. He could never hit the target this well before. He began to feel overwhelmed with joy the minute that the shock of the moment wore off.

"I DID IT SAKURA-CHAN! You're the best teacher ever!" He ran towards the pink haired girl and grabbed her for a hug.

Sakura started laughing. She wasn't used to being the recipient of such an affectionate display.

"Alright Naruto. Calm down. Let's see if you can do it again."

Naruto blushed and let go of his classmate.

"Alright Sakura-chan! I'll do my best!"

The blonde sprinted back to his original position. He quickly set his stance the same way that Sakura showed him. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he set his resolve once more. He would do his best. He needed to prove his worth to Sakura-chan.

Opening his eyes, he released the kunai. It hit the target once more, slightly to the left, but still a vast improvement from his previous attempts without Sakura's help.

The blonde smiled again.

Sakura was still shocked. How could someone learn so quickly? It took her weeks to be able to throw so well. Naruto learned it in a couple minutes. She was mixed with feelings of happiness and jealously. It wasn't fair. She wanted him to be good, but not as good as her in a couple minutes. She knew it wasn't right to feel this way, but it sure was hard not to feel deflated. It made her feel like she didn't progress fast enough or far enough in her training. She felt stupid for wanting to take the day off; she didn't deserve it, well not yet anyway. She needed to train harder.

While Sakura was deep in thought, Naruto once again ran over to her.

He scooped up his classmate and swung her around in a giant hug.

"YOU'RE THE BEST SAKURA-CHAN!"

Sakura immediately felt bad for her negative thoughts. She was here to help, not to be jealous.

Suddenly she felt a pair of warm lips on her. She was stunned and shocked. Naruto just kissed her… His lips touched her… HE JUST FREAKING KISSED HER… IT WAS HER FIRST KISS… Well technically it was just a peck, but still a kiss to her lips… HER LIPS. This was not ok. She did not give him permission to do this. Sakura got mad. Her first instinct was to smack the blonde idiot on the head.

"NARUTO! THAT WAS MY FIRST KISS! YOU IDIOT! " Sakura said fuming and near tears. "You're supposed to be in love with the person you kiss." The tears started to fall from her face "You didn't even ask for my permission."

Naruto's happiness immediately flew away. Without thinking, he kissed his crush without asking. Now he was certain that she hated him… His heart clenched in his chest. He couldn't bear the thought of her hating him.

"Gomen Sakura. I got carried away. I never meant to do that." Naruto said bowing.

Sakura wiped the tears from her face.

"It's fine Naruto. I understand. But, you should probably work on training by yourself for the rest of the day. I don't want this incident to be a distraction. The exams are tomorrow and you have a lot of work to do" Sakura sad coldly.

She was more upset at herself for lashing out and showing so much emotion. Kunochi were supposed to mask their feelings. In fact, she heard that some of the older kunochi in the village we required to go on missions where they manipulated their targets into revealing information through flirtation and seduction. A first kiss shouldn't have meant so much to her. She was now embarrassed.

Naruto bowed his head.

Sakura could tell he was crying now.

"It's fine Naruto. I was just shocked. Besides, as a future kunochi, I shouldn't have lashed out like that. I should be happy that I didn't lose it on a mission and that it was with a friend."

Naruto looked up at his classmate. She just called him a friend. He finally had a friend.

"I'm still sorry Sakura-chan. You helped me become better and I made you upset in return. From now on, I will never make you upset again! As your friend I promise that I will only make you happy! Believe it!"

Sakura laughed. It was so hard to be mad at Naruto. He looked so determined. It was painfully endearing.

"Alright Naruto. I'll hold you to it. And I'll see you tomorrow morning for the exam."

Despite no longer being mad at the blonde, Sakura decided she should probably go and let him practice on his own. Besides she now felt self conscious around him and she couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. It wasn't so bad. It was warm and soft despite being so abrupt. She blushed and shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"Thanks for all your help Sakura-chan!"

She smiled softly. "No problem. Bye Naruto" she said as she turned to leave.

Sakura never thought that her relaxing day would be so eventful. The most exciting thing she had planned to do was buy a new book. But this certainly made her plans look mild. And now whenever she thought of Naruto, she was certain that she would remember that kiss. Despite her unsure feelings and previous anger, she smiled to herself. She actually felt like a normal girl for a moment. It was nice.

Little did she know, a pair of red eyes was watching her from the trees surrounding the training ground.

xx pointgrey


End file.
